please help! cant install OS on new system

[atom631]

Ok,

I finally got all the parts for my new system today. I set everything up.....and it wont install the OS.

Here is what I have:

Asus A7V266-E mobo
XP 1900+ processor
512mb DDR2100 ECC
WD 100gb HD w/ 8mb cache
ATI Radeon 8500v
Toshiba 16x DVD
Plextor 24x/10x/40x CD-RW
Enermax 550w power supply

Here is what happens:

I get post OK. It detects all the drives ok. It will fdisk and format the drive without any problems. It boots from either CD-rom no problem.

Then, it starts to install the OS..... no good.

At first I tried XP pro. It would get to the first blue screen and then it would halt on reading kernel.dll and then I would get an error message " cannot load setupdd.sys, error code 4, press any key to restart ", so id restart and try again. sometime it would go a little further...but most of the time, it would halt right there.

After messing around in the Bios, I set the processor speed at 1200mhz. I also de-selected an option for memory that said "define by spd" I dont have SPD memory so I set it to 7ns because the other option 8ns gave me the same results (Im not sure exact what Im talking about here, and dont know if this is 100% correct). After that It got past the kernel.dll. It actually got to the section where it starts to install necessary files.

When it gets here, I keep getting cannot read _______ file, press R to retry. After pressing R about 2 times it would always install the file. This would happen about 10 times during the entire installation, but it would complete.

After it is 100% complete I reboot, and nothing. Or I actually got the XP startup screen once, then I got the BSOD.


At this point, I thought maybe it was the DVD player. I tried the Plextor and I got the same problems. Then I tried different cables.... same thing.

Then I tried to install 2k pro. Same sort of errors. I actually got a message saying that the board wasnt acpi complaint and needs to be updated. I only got this once. The bios is brand new, and the bios is the latest.

The I tried 98...same thing again.

Also, every now and then when I restart the computer it goes directly into the bios and says " your processor is not set to the correct speed, your system is runing in safe mode. please choose the correct speed and restart. so i tried both 1200 and 1600...and still every now and then...like every 6 reboots i get the message.

anyone have any idea? i have a feeling its just a bad motherboard. is there something in the bios i am not setting correctly? i am not using the raid setup and the moment so should i disable it? and if so, how do i do it?

could it be b/c my memory is ECC? i know that ECC memory can cause more problems then its worth sometimes.

i have access to an MSI KT266-Pro, Im going to try that and see if all of my other components (mem, vid, pro, HD) are all good. then i will at least know if its the mobo or not.

if someone has this board, or know what the hell im going through .....PLLEEASSSE help. I dont want to have to start shipping stuff all over the damn country.

thanks.

 

[John]

Have you checked the manual to see if it supports ECC memory?

 

[Demonicon]

Do you have a raid controller? You need to hit F6 in W2K and XP to install your raid drivers.
WinXP can boot directly from the CD(Set you CD as your first boot device) you do not need to use Fdisk and you can format and partition in the OS setup.

HTH, I didn't read your whole post but I hope I have helped.

 

[ThatDumbGuy]

have you insured that the motherboard is compliant with registered memory? some motherboards aren't, or they advise against it?

 

[foofoo]

this definitely sounds like memory. do you have a 256 mb stick of crucial around to try a swap? try to borrow one if not and try different memory.
good luck

 

[CdnMade]

<<
Here is what happens:

I get post OK. It detects all the drives ok. It will fdisk and format the drive without any problems. It boots from either CD-rom no problem.

Then, it starts to install the OS..... no good.

At first I tried XP pro. It would get to the first blue screen and then it would halt on reading kernel.dll and then I would get an error message " cannot load setupdd.sys, error code 4, press any key to restart ", so id restart and try again. sometime it would go a little further...but most of the time, it would halt right there.

After messing around in the Bios, I set the processor speed at 1200mhz. I also de-selected an option for memory that said "define by spd" I dont have SPD memory so I set it to 7ns because the other option 8ns gave me the same results (Im not sure exact what Im talking about here, and dont know if this is 100% correct). After that It got past the kernel.dll. It actually got to the section where it starts to install necessary files.

When it gets here, I keep getting cannot read _______ file, press R to retry. After pressing R about 2 times it would always install the file. This would happen about 10 times during the entire installation, but it would complete.

After it is 100% complete I reboot, and nothing. Or I actually got the XP startup screen once, then I got the BSOD.


At this point, I thought maybe it was the DVD player. I tried the Plextor and I got the same problems. Then I tried different cables.... same thing.

Then I tried to install 2k pro. Same sort of errors. I actually got a message saying that the board wasnt acpi complaint and needs to be updated. I only got this once. The bios is brand new, and the bios is the latest.

The I tried 98...same thing again.

Also, every now and then when I restart the computer it goes directly into the bios and says " your processor is not set to the correct speed, your system is runing in safe mode. please choose the correct speed and restart. so i tried both 1200 and 1600...and still every now and then...like every 6 reboots i get the message.



<<

My friend get yourself some new ram that is absolutly(sp) your problem. no doupt at all. 99.9% of the time if you get errors on a windows install it is from bad ram.